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I bought my 1956 Imperial in the Philadelphia suburbs after driving it for
something like 20 minutes, looking it over for maybe half an hour, and getting a
lot of blather from the owner. Anyhow, it was late November, cloudy and cold, as
I headed down I-95 toward Washington full of hope and fear. The wiring was a
disaster (the car has since been totally rewired), so I was afraid to turn
on the headlights; every time I stepped on the brakes, I prayed that the car
would stop; the car had a South Wind heater and, although it was bitter
cold, I was afraid to fire that monster of a heater up; I kept the window down
so that the windshield wouldn't fog; I had no idea about oil consumption; and,
last but not least, I had no idea how good the gas gauge was or what kind of
mileage I was getting.
In a nutshell, I was terrified, but on a real high -- after all, I would
have to face HER HIGHNESS (wife) on arrival who wasn't exactly excited about me
bringing home another antique auto. But, hey, that's part of the fun.
Trust me, adrenaline was pumping as I roared down the Interstate and
kept up with traffic hauling along about 80. Fellow travelers tooted, gave
thumbs up, and waved, as I raced home trying to arrive before dark and before I
froze to death.. I finally made it, and my teeth chattered for about two
days..
Although nothing untoward happened, I shall never forget that trip. Yes,
you listen to every rattle and every squeak, and you worry about every bump in
the road. I highly recommend a good trip in your old car.... it's a thrill
a minute. I could have sold tickets if other guys felt the same sense of
adventure that I did.
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